How to choose a real estate photographer on Long Island

The checklist

Nine things to check before you book

• 1. Drone licensing and authorization

  Flying a drone for a listing is commercial work, and the FAA requires the person at the controls to hold a remote pilot certificate under Part 107. The drone has to be registered with the FAA as well. On Long Island the controlled airspace around several airports requires FAA authorization before a flight, and close to a runway the FAA may allow only a lower altitude, so a careful operator checks the address before promising aerials.

  Liability insurance that covers drone work is a separate question. If your brokerage or the seller wants proof, ask before the shoot.

• 2. A delivery time, in writing

  Delivery times vary by photographer and by package. Photos on their own can come back sooner than a finished video, a floor plan, or twilight. If the listing goes live on a set date, work back from it and get the window in writing.

• 3. What the package actually includes

  Packages run from photos alone to photos with a floor plan, drone, video, and twilight. Compare them line by line: a fixed number of photos or every finished frame, whether bracketed exposures are blended so the windows hold detail, whether vertical lines are corrected, which extras are included and which are added on, and whether the price changes with the size of the house or the town it is in.

• 4. Who owns the files

  Photographers license their work in different ways. Some license the photos to the listing agent for that one listing only. That matters if the seller, a builder, or the next agent wants to reuse them, or if you want them later for your own marketing. Know the terms before the shoot, not after the listing sells.

• 5. MLS ready sizes and full resolution

  Your MLS sets its own photo requirements, and your website, print pieces, and social posts each want something different. Full resolution files plus MLS ready sizes save you resizing and keep the quality consistent.

• 6. How twilight is produced

  A twilight photo can be shot at dusk with every light on, or made in editing from a daytime frame. They look different and cost different amounts, and a real dusk session is a second visit at the end of the day. Know which one you are buying, and follow your MLS and brokerage rules on disclosing edited images.

• 7. How the floor plan is measured

  A 2D floor plan answers the layout question that photos cannot, especially for split levels, high ranches, and older houses that have been added onto. Ask how the plan is measured, whether it shows room dimensions, and whether it carries a square footage or gross living area figure. A plan's measurement is not a survey or an appraisal, and it should be labeled as what it is.

• 8. What the video includes

  Listing video comes in many shapes: a short cut or a full walkthrough, horizontal for the listing page, vertical for Reels and Shorts. Music matters too, because a track not licensed for commercial use can get a video muted or pulled.

• 9. Weather, access, and rescheduling

  Rain and wind affect exteriors, and they ground drones. Ask what happens when the forecast turns, how rescheduling works, and how the photographer handles an occupied home, pets, and a lockbox.

Before you decide

Look at a whole gallery, not the highlights

• One complete listing

  A portfolio is a photographer's own selection. A complete gallery from one recent listing shows what you will actually receive: whether the color holds from room to room, and how the small rooms and the exterior look on an ordinary day.

The questions, in one list

The questions from the checklist, ready to copy into an email or keep open on the call.

1. Can I see your FAA Part 107 certificate, have you checked this address for airspace, and can you send proof of insurance if asked?
2. When will each piece arrive, and is that in the agreement?
3. What exactly is in the folder, and does the price change with square footage or travel?
4. Who owns the photos and video, and who may use them?
5. Do you deliver MLS ready sizes along with full resolution files?
6. Is twilight shot at dusk or created in editing?
7. How is the floor plan measured, and what does it show?
8. Which video formats do I get, and is the music licensed?
9. What happens if the weather changes?
10. Can I see a complete gallery from one recent listing?